At CBC, Elliotte Friedman looks at how the NHLPA took a stab at preventing back diving contracts in their proposal to the owners today.

He says that the “cap benefit” gained over the course of the deal and charge it against the cap.

Friedman explains using this example:

So, let’s assume you’re a GM and sign a player to a 10-year, $55-million deal. The breakdown is easy: $10 million in year one, down to $1 million in year 10. The cap hit is $5.5 million each year. So, in year one, your benefit is $4.5 million, in year two it’s $3.5 million, year three is $2.5 million, four is $1.5 million, five is $500,000, six is minus-$500,000, seven is minus-$1.5 million and eight is minus-$2.5 million.

He notes that the total is $8 million and the team would have the choice of taking the cap hit in one lump sum or spreading it out over two or four years.

This would apply to players who sign contracts of NINE years or longer and would only apply to contracts signed after the new CBA is put in place.

In the case of Brad Richards (cap hit of $6.67 million), the benefit for the Rangers is $5.4 million the first two year, $2.4 million the third year, $1.9 million for years four and five, $400,000 in year six and -$5.6 for the last three. If Richards contract were to be applied, the Rangers would be on the hook for $600,000 against the cap.